From the President

hen Monmouth University opened its doors in 1933 as a two-year junior college offering night classes to local students, no one could have fully anticipated what this institution would become. Nearly a century later, I am proud to report that Monmouth has earned designation as a National University—recognition that reflects not a single moment, but the results of sustained, purposeful work across every corner of this campus. The pages that follow document that progress and highlight milestones from a year of exciting momentum here at Monmouth.

In 2025, we enrolled the most academically prepared class in our history—and simultaneously enrolled the highest-ever percentage of first-generation and/or low-income students. More than 40% qualified for Pell Grant support. And, this same class posted record-high GPAs, record SAT scores, and our largest-ever Honors School enrollment. This first-year class profile underscored the idea that excellence and access are not competing values—something Monmouth continues to prove year after year.

Our Carnegie Research College and University designation—placing us among the top 14% of American institutions for research activity—reflects a parallel story. We did not simply declare ourselves a research university. We built one, through faculty scholarship, student-faculty collaboration, and applied inquiry that serves our local and regional communities well beyond our campus. The Urban Coast Institute, now entering its third decade, exemplifies that commitment: translating rigorous science into policy and generating innovative research opportunities for students along the way.

This year also brought the completion of our Middle States reaffirmation, with no requirements and 12 commendations from the site visit team, who noted Monmouth’s enviable financial strength, which has become a defining characteristic of the institution. With an endowment that has grown to $171 million, a fundraising campaign on pace to surpass its $175 million goal, and virtually no outstanding debt, Monmouth enters the next chapter of its history with a strong financial footing.

And then there is the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music, whose permanent home opens on Monmouth’s campus this June. What began as an archival collection has grown into something far bigger—a global destination for scholarship, performance, and cultural celebration that will draw audiences from across the country and around the world. It is, in every sense, an expression of what Monmouth aspires to be: ambitious, grounded in place, and open to the world.

As you review the highlights that follow, I hope you will see what I see—a university that has earned its place among some of the finest institutions in the country, all while staying true to the values that have always defined it. I am deeply grateful to all who support and continue to advance Monmouth University with momentum, with confidence, and with a clear sense of where we are headed.

Sincerely,